After more than three decades in medicine - spanning rural practice, military deployments and leadership, Dr. Colleen Forestier has learned that the profession demands both humility and resilience.
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Long before he ever stepped into an operating room, Dr. John Kortbeek already had a vivid picture of what a surgical life could look like. In high school, he read a book about a general surgeon practicing in upstate New York, filled with vivid case stories and encounters with people from every walk of life. The combination of intellectual challenge, technical skill and human connection captured his imagination. “I was hooked,” he recalls.
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Long before he matched to Ophthalmology, Dr. Antoine Sylvestre-Bouchard’s interests were wide-ranging. Coming out of Cégep in Québec, he was drawn to computer science, mechanical engineering, music, even philosophy. But a memory from high school lingered.
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For Dr. Elena Mitevska, medicine has always been about service. She was drawn to the profession because she wanted a career focused on helping others and pediatrics quickly stood out as the right fit. In her field, she says, she can care not only for patients but for entire families, ensuring every recommendation is both patient-centred and family-centred while also grounded in social context.
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“When residents are supported, they show up better for patients, with more bandwidth to be thoughtful, curious and present at the bedside,” she says. “When we support residents, we support patients and we strengthen the healthcare system as a whole.”
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Medicine was part of Dr. Du Toit Visser’s world long before he chose it as a career. Raised by a physician father and a nurse mother, he saw firsthand the relationships they built and the impact they had on their community. That early exposure left a lasting impression. Seeing how deeply they were woven into the lives of the people they served ultimately drew him into the profession.
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Dr. Chantal (CJ) Allan’s path to medicine wasn’t linear. She initially pursued a combined business and chemistry degree, envisioning a future in pharmaceuticals. During a summer work term, she found herself watching surgical videos online.
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Dr. Christa Aubrey was drawn to work that was both hands-on and meaningful. Raised by a nurse and a carpenter, she grew up valuing practical skills, problem-solving and a sense of responsibility. “I liked to work with my hands and loved to be ‘in control,’” she says. While she never imagined herself in surgery at first, that changed early in medical school. “In first year, I realized I loved the OR because of the technical aspect of it.”
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As a child, she was cared for by a pediatrician who left a lasting impression. The physician was one of the first female graduates from her medical school - top of her class, intelligent, kind, confident. At the time, Dr. Stang didn’t have the language to describe why that mattered. Looking back, she understands how powerful it was to see a woman excelling in a role she admired.
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